Three Voyagers remembered now

by Kathryn Urick

 

Published November 1986

Kathryn’s Korner  - The Daily Tribune

 

Lucky for me I turned on the TV just in time to see the Voyager as it took off on its no-stop flight around the world, broken wing-tip and all.  I was lucky again to see it land, “live” too, on its return flight, a most noteworthy event in our history.  What a thrill!  The date was Dec. 23, 1986.  I named this Voyager 1.

 

Voyager 2 landed at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, 1986 at the Detroit-Metro Airport, after an 18-hour flight, only 45 later than scheduled.  Northwest-Orient Express brought three little Korean babies and three older children from Seoul, Korea, who were met at Gate 12 by their adoptive parents.

 

When I received this news at midnight, Dec. 18, I knew I would write this story. Im Soo Yong, one of the babies, was born in Seoul, Korea, on Sept. 7, 1986.  This “little bundle of joy was now 3 months old, and named Aaron Soo Yong Urick, (yes, you guessed it, my sixth grandchild) was met by his new parents, my son and wife.

 

Over the telephone I heard, “Mom, he is a beautiful baby boy.”  Later, as I was writing, my eyes were blurry, and I choked back the tears, because I had known how long they had waited – weeks and months, for this to become a reality  - tears of joy were abundant.

 

Aaron’s generous care-giver and escort on the trip had sent advance word that “your baby will be the one with the red bow.”  And sure enough, when they came through the tunnel to Gate 12, there he was – red bow and all, wrapped in a Korean blanket, “truly a gift from God.”

 

Part of the baby’s progress report read like – “he was such a good baby all the way – he smiles a lot; he is strong; the stewardesses helped take care of the children; “ such good news for the new parents to hear (more tear-drops on paper).

 

Then news came explaining there was a large crowd gathered at Gate 12, with cameras clicking, lights, and video cameras whirring.  Indeed an exciting and extra ordinary kind of experience for everyone.

 

Some of you readers might be interested to know that the foster mothers accompanied the children to the Seoul airport, along with a minister of the Gospel who conducted a very emotional ceremony.  He offered prayers for a safe journey and for a future life of joy and happiness with the newly adoptive parents (tears aplenty).

 

As it happens, there is more to the story.  At this same time, another celebrity, perhaps man-of –the-hour in the news, arrived at Gate 10, in the person of Eugene Hasenfus, Voyager 3.  He was also greeted by cameras, reporters from Channel 2, Detroit News, but a very small crowd was gathered at Gate 10.  Most of the people were at Gate 12, crowded around the children.  When I heard these words, I couldn’t help but think, why, of course, “a little child shall lead them.”

 

If the Friendly Skies of United are good to me I will be making that important vital connection between grandparent and grandchild very soon.

 

Aaron will learn to crawl, become a toddler, play and begin to talk.  in the process of his growing up and as he begins to understand things, I hope I can read to him the following thoughts written by a famous person in the 18th Century, Pablo Casals, a noted Spanish musician wrote the following:

 

“Each moment we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and never will be again.  And what do we teach our children?  We teach them that one and one are two and that Paris is the capitol of France.  When are we going to teach them what they are?  We should say to them, “Do you know who you are? You are a marvel.  You are unique.  In all the world there is no other child exactly like you.  In the millions of years there has never been a child like you.  And look at your body – what a wonder it is!  Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move!  You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.  You have the capacity for anything.  Yes, you are a marvel.  And when you grow up, can you harm another, who is, like you, a marvel?  You must cherish one another.  You must work – we must all work – to make the world worthy of its children.”

 

I think I’ll remember these Voyagers as The Three Musketeers.  Although I’ll probably never see all of them again, just reading this story will be a sheer delight.  It will fill a long-overdue page in my journal, with a few teardrops I know, just for good measure.